Tracking a Killer
by Duke Vertigo
Summary: A ruthless assassin fatally wounds Squall and Rinoa hires SeeD to search and capture the killer. The hired SeeDs get help from a new leader and an unlikely duo. A further summary is found in my bio.
1. Great Day Gone Bad

Tracking a Killer  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own or have the right to sell any product involving Final Fantasy 8, including all characters pertaining to it.  
  
Ch. 1  
  
~ Galbadian Streets, 18 months after Ultimecia threatened the planet. ~  
  
"Dante! Get over here and stay low!" Irvine Kinneas called out from behind a rolled bus. Irvine got up and fired at the rebels who planned to overthrow the Galbadian Government and Irvine and the 18 year old rookie SeeD from Galbadia, Dante, were hired to eliminate the threat. This shoot out involved the last of what remained of the rebellious group, and unfortunately, none would allow themselves to be arrested.  
  
"Give me some cover!" Dante Alexander called from behind an unsafe post behind a mailbox. Irvine slid sideways from behind the bus and fired at its side, causing the rebels to drop down behind their barriers, the stores they had seized and hid in, and Dante strafed towards the bus firing his duel pistols, and made it behind the wrecked bus.  
  
"They're almost done kid," Irvine said to his young companion. "Maybe half a dozen left." Irvine fully loaded his gun. "Let's get 'em buddy." Irvine strafed to the left of the bus, and Dante to the right. The original fire went after Dante, and he was hit in the left leg and fell, but Irvine picked those who came up easily until they noticed him. The two remaining rebels made a run for the back entrance of the store.  
  
Irvine chased after them. Dante got up and hobbled slowly after him, but fell and couldn't get back up without tremendous pain, so he stayed down. Irvine had jumped through the broken viewing window and followed into the back. He followed out the back exit to find a deserted alleyway. Irvine lowered his gone and walked back up to the front of the store. "I think we took care of the threat buddy. Mission complete," Irvine helped the rookie to his feet again.  
  
"I can't believe I was hit." Dante said in frustration with himself. "It let those two get away."  
  
"Dante, don't worry about it. The mission is done. You did a great..." Irvine looked beyond Dante and saw one of the rebels came back around the front. "...get down kid!" Irvine pushed Dante to the ground as the rebel fired his gun. The bullet went passed Dante's dropping shoulder and into Irvine's throat. Irvine desperately gasped for air, and blood sprayed from the wound as he fell to the ground.  
  
"No!" Dante's voice echoed in the deserted street. He pulled out both of his pistols and fired from the floor, emptying both clips into the torso of the rebel.  
  
Dante crawled over to his fallen friend, still attempting to get oxygen as his mouth filled with blood. "You're going to be okay Irvine, just let me get some help. You'll be alright." Dante looked into the eyes of Irvine, the eyes that would haunt him for the rest of his life, as they stared wide open, and the life seemed to drain from them. Dante stood there at his knees, staring at those eyes, staring till he had to turn away and vomit.  
  
~ 4 months later ~  
  
Squall Leonheart sat at his couch upstairs in his rented house in Timber. The house he rented with Rinoa and impatiently awaited her arrival home from the train station, where she found a passion for running the systems and guiding conductors on their routes. This was the day. The day he would finally be able to prove how much he cared.  
  
He pulled a small black box out of his pocket and opened it. He admired the 2 Karat diamond he had saved his Gil to buy. He smiled to himself as he finally felt that he achieved something he always wanted; true happiness.  
  
The door downstairs opened and closed, and Squall checked the clock on the wall. She was home, a short while earlier than usual. He waited patiently but grinned widely, another thing he imagined himself doing more often.  
  
The door and the top of the stairs opened, and Squall's smile instantly faded. "What do you want?" he shouted the question, but got no reply. The disguised man at the door grinned at Squall. "Who are you?"  
  
The man continued to grin. "Your last contact with human life." The disguised man charged and planted a sword blade into Squall's abdomen, then punched him back off of it. Squall fell back on the couch, one hand holding the wound, the other clinging to the open ring box. The man lined up a final blow to the head when the door downstairs opened again, and a youthful female voice called "honey, I'm home," in a real cheerful tone.  
  
The man stopped his final attack and headed for the nearest window. He leaped out of it as Rinoa opened the door at the top of the staircase.  
  
Rinoa screamed when she saw Squall on the couch bleeding all over himself. She dropped to her knees and cried tears down her cheeks as she crawled to his body that was gradually fading from life. When she got to the couch, she grabbed the telephone on the side table and quickly dialed the local EMS.  
  
Rinoa then cradled Squall's torso in her arms. She was shocked to feel him move as he forced the ring box into her hands. She held him like that for a couple of minutes that seemed like decades to her, when she heard the emergency sirens outside. She then first noticed the ring box, and opened it. As she heard the Paramedics scrambling up the stairs, she repeatedly whispered to him, "I will. I will." 


	2. Hiring the SeeDs

Tracking a Killer  
  
Ch. 2  
  
~ Galbadian Intensive Care Center ~  
  
Squall was immediately transferred to the best available health facility in Galbadia. His condition was poor, and was currently surrounded by doctors in an operating room, where he'd been for 9 hours. Ellone walked down a wide hallway cluttered with stretchers and IV units. She found Rinoa in a waiting room that was a short distance from the Operating Rooms.  
  
"Any news on how he's doing?" Ellone said as she put her hand on Rinoa's back and knelt down.  
  
Rinoa had her face buried in her hands, and she gave no response.  
  
"Rinoa, I'm glad you informed me, but It didn't seem to me like this was the only reason you wanted me to come."  
  
Rinoa looked up from her hands, and into Ellone's eyes. "I need your help. When he comes out of there, you might be able to get an ID on the killer, cause chances are, Squall saw him before he got attacked."  
  
'If he came out alive,' Ellone thought to herself. It was useless if she tried to see his past when he was no longer alive. "Yes, I'll do it. We'll catch him and put him in prison for the remainder of his life."  
  
Rinoa looked back down at her feet. In one week, her father had said to her face that he never wanted to see her again, due to her refusal to live in Galbadia and find a decent man who didn't occupy his life as a dishonorable mercenary. The mercenary that she lost her old life for, was no on the brink of death, and without him she knew she would be completely alone in life.  
  
A tall, veteran doctor came out of the OR and approached the two young women. Rinoa began to stand up, but Ellone forced her down. "I insist to talk to him first."  
  
Rinoa reluctantly sat back down, and Ellone walked away with the doctor.  
  
"Well, we were able to assess the damage and..." The doctor began, but got cut off by Ellone.  
  
"Just tell me doctor. The sooner I know, the better."  
  
The doctor took a long sigh. "The bleeding did not stop in time. He has lost a lot of blood, and yet he still seems to be bleeding internally. He won't live through the night. If you wish to go give your final respects before we unhook the life support, you better do it now. He's in the recovery ward." The doctor paused in his tracks, saw that Ellone was deep in thought, and he turned and walked down another hallway.  
  
Ellone turned around and slowly walked back to the waiting room. Rinoa was balling in her seat, and Ellone sat down next to her and hugged her. Ellone then guided Rinoa to her feet, and walked her to the recovery ward.  
  
Squall was in a far corner, pale and hooked up to a respirator, heart monitor, and much more. Rinoa dropped to her knees, grabbed Squall's limp hand, then forced her head into the bed sheets and cried.  
  
Ellone knew there was no point in asking if Rinoa was ready. Ellone closed her eyes and concentrated. Rinoa's ears began to ring, and then she blacked out. She thought she came back to consciousness, and found herself staring at a beautiful diamond engagement ring. Rinoa realized she was in her rented house, in the upstairs living room. The door at the top of the staircase opened, and in came an unknown man, Rinoa instantly recognized the uniform. It was red with silver lining. The uniform of a high-ranking Galbadian soldier.  
  
Rinoa blacked out again. She heard a distant sound of a steady, high- pitched tone. The sound gradually became not so distant, until she realized it was in the same room with her. She opened her eyes, and saw herself being dragged away from the hospital bed she was collapsed next to. The heart monitor was showing a flat-line and the medical staff was working feverishly.  
  
Rinoa then heard the phrase that put her into total shock. A doctor announced to the others, "Time of Death, 3:17 AM."  
  
~ Balamb Garden, 2 days later ~  
  
Quistis's desk was below the inactive bridge on Balamb Garden, actually, in the elevator hall. The Garden was still mobile, but would only be moved in an emergency. It was placed back at its old location, and the flight equipment was hidden under a layer of loose astro-turf.  
  
Cid's office was directly below the bridge. This would soon be Quistis's office, cause Cid was in very poor health, and he already named Quistis his successor. He originally wanted Squall to be the upcoming Headmaster of Balamb Garden, but Squall refused to accept the job. Quistis was chosen, only because of her experience against Ultimecia, and the fact that she had partial teaching experience.  
  
Rinoa exited the elevator when it reached the third floor. Quistis stood up and walked over, shaking her hand, then hugging her, all in silence. "Rinoa, it was a shame. More than a shame, it was a tragedy."  
  
Rinoa made her way out of Quistis's arms, then instantly got down to business. "Quistis, I need to talk to Cid. For the second time in my life, I have to hire SeeD."  
  
Quistis sat down behind her desk. "I can take care of it. No need to contact Cid."  
  
"I want to hire the team that defeated Ultimecia, including you."  
  
Quistis sighed. "Do you realize how much money that will cost? Individually, they aren't as expensive, but when you hire the top rated team ever to come across all of Garden, you are out well over half a million Gil. The group would probably be willing to do it for cheap to honor Squall, but that's not how the system works. The Garden claims a good percentage of that money."  
  
"I can get the money. I'll force my father to pay."  
  
"Alright," Quistis walked back around the back of her desk. "I can have you a list in one minute." Quistis wrote down some information, a total amount of Gil, and the SeeDs she would hire to go along side herself. "Done."  
  
Rinoa looked over the list.  
  
Zell Dincht  
  
Selphie Tilmit  
  
Dante Alexander  
  
Quistis Trepe  
  
Seifer Almasy  
  
"Seifer? We can't hire Seifer. He is hated by everyone else on this list, and he isn't even a graduated SeeD."  
  
"No, after he was free of Ultimecia's spell, he went to Trabia Garden, helped them rebuild it, and then passed the final exams. Ever since he's been a weapons trainer at Trabia." Quistis began writing out a bill, which was over half a million Gil.  
  
"Still," Rinoa complained, "he never even liked Squall. He has no purpose being on this mission."  
  
"Rinoa, Seifer respected Squall more than anyone else on the planet. Plus, he is a leader. Nobody else on that list is much of a leader, including me. We always found someone with leadership qualities for a mission, most of the time it was Squall."  
  
"Fine, but as soon as he starts acting up, he's fired." Rinoa looked again at the list. "Who's Dante Alexander?"  
  
"He's the top ranked gunslinger from Galbadia Garden. I think it my be useful to have a sharpshooter on the team."  
  
"Why not just get Irvine? Somebody who had ties with Squall."  
  
"Did nobody tell you?" Quistis looked up at Rinoa.  
  
"Tell me what?"  
  
"I personally told Squall. I don't see why he wouldn't have told you." Quistis stood up.  
  
"For crying out loud! What happened?"  
  
"Irvine was shot and killed in Galbadia. A fatal wound to the throat, four months ago. Dante Alexander was the one and only witness."  
  
"Dante was on the same mission?"  
  
"Dante and Irvine were full time partners. You couldn't hire one without the other. They had become the best of friends."  
  
"Alright, I'll accept. Write up the contract, and I'll sign." Rinoa headed back to the elevator.  
  
"Rinoa, I am sorry. You know I have always loved Squall, as a friend and a brother."  
  
Rinoa nodded, and went back down the elevator.  
  
~ Balamb City ~  
  
Zell Dincht pulled into Balamb Harbor in the late afternoon. He had been out to see on his old boat all day. He got an emergency call of duty out on the ocean, otherwise he would've still been out there wasting his time away. He got out of his boat and stepped onto the dock, attaching his boat to some cleats on dry land with a rope. He heard a continuous hum of whipping air overhead, and he recognized the sound before he even looked up.  
  
Selphie steadied the Ragnorak into a low hover at the Balamb docks. She hit a few switches, and a ramp expelled out from the front of the ship, leading to the passenger hold.  
  
Zell wasted no time climbing the ramp, and then went deeper into the ship, until he reached the small elevator that lead to the cockpit. The cabin had 3 pilots inside, Selphie was in the position of the Head Captain. Selphie turned around, and saw Zell. "Zell!" she shouted in joy. "Good to see ya!"  
  
Selphie ran up to him and gave him a hug, Zell hugging back. "What are you doing here girl?" Zell asked as they pulled away from each other. "Once you became official captain of this ship, I never get to see you anymore."  
  
"I'm not exactly sure why I'm here. I got a call from the Garden about a highly important mission."  
  
"Same here. Looks like we've both been hired."  
  
The cockpit door opened again, and in came Quistis, closely followed by Rinoa.  
  
"This is great!" Selphie exclaimed. "It's like an old reunion, well, not totally. We're missing Squall, and Irvine is now missed for ever." Selphie had suddenly brought her spirits down with that phrase and then she noticed the depression in Rinoa's face. "What's the matter?"  
  
Quistis didn't allow Rinoa to answer, fearing she might break down crying. "Squall was murdered 3 days ago. You two and I have been hired by Rinoa to track the killer, and make an arrest. We have two other people joining us, a sharp shooter named Dante Alexander, and Seifer Almasy. Seifer will be commander of this mission."  
  
"Hell no! I'm not doing anything with that jackass!" Zell declared out loud.  
  
"It's already been set in the contract Zell," Quistis said.  
  
Zell hung his head down and sat down in a nearby chair. Selphie dismissed everyone other pilot in the cockpit.  
  
"C'mon Selphie, we need to get to Galbadia and pick up Dante, then go to Trabia." Quistis said as she took a seat. 


	3. Enter Dante

Tracking a Killer  
  
Ch. 3  
  
As they traveled in the Ragnorak, Quistis first noticed the stern and vengeful look Rinoa had been wearing for most of the ride to Deling City, where Dante was supposedly at. Selphie and Zell had been in the to pilot seats, catching up. They had not seen each other in over 8 months, since they were both highly expensive to hire, they hadn't been hired on the same mission since the defeat of Ultimecia. They ran into each other briefly once in Balamb.  
  
Quistis focused on Rinoa, who had been totally speechless the whole entire trip. Quistis got up to from her seat and knelt down next Rinoa. "Rinoa, what are you thinking about?"  
  
Rinoa raised her head from her stare at the floor, and looked over to Quistis. "You didn't realize it either? My father hated the fact I was with Squall. It was a Galbadian soldier who killed Squall. My father still has ties with the Galbadian Army, so he had a soldier kill Squall. This was just a plot to get me back home. He probably already has a new "man" set up to date and marry me."  
  
"Rinoa, that's farfetched and you know it. Why would your father do that to you?" Quistis stood up, attempting to make Rinoa feel somewhat inferior down below her so that Quistis could easily get her point across.  
  
"That's exactly what I'm going to find out." She stood up and walked out of the cockpit as the Ragnorak began to descend.  
  
"Where's she going?" Zell asked after he saw Rinoa from the window of the cockpit, exit the ship and head into the city.  
  
"She wants to go talk to General Caraway." Quistis answered. "We should let her go alone and go find Dante."  
  
Zell nodded as they followed out of the ship and into the city. Selphie set the security on the Ragnorak before going to catch up.  
  
Dante had a lease on a room in 'The Glamour Motel'. It was located in downtown Deling, and there was nothing glamorous about it. The building had been defiled by graffiti and the trash outside the building had piled up.  
  
"This can't be the place." Zell spoke in monotone. "Anybody on even the smallest of SeeD salaries can afford a better place to live."  
  
"He might be a wanderer Zell." Selphie pointed out.  
  
"Still..." Zell muttered as the three went into the lobby.  
  
The lobby was poorly lit and had the sour smell of boiled cabbage, though all three figured that nobody had been eating cabbage. Zell went up and hit a bell on the counter.  
  
A gruff looking old man limped his way to the counter, leaning on a cane. "What do you need? I don't want to be wasting my time."  
  
"I'm looking for Dante Alexander." Zell said.  
  
"Never heard of him."  
  
"He lives here, I have a record of his lease. Check your books, I'm sure you'll find the name and room." Zell impatiently tapped his fingers on the counter.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I can't give out that kind of information." The old man tried to say politely.  
  
"Leo, goddamn it. I'm right here!" A hoarse and irritated voice called from across the lobby. "You've got to stop being so damn secretive all the time."  
  
The trio turned and faced the man across the room, stretched out on a beat up old couch. The man wore a baggy, black cotton shirt, even baggier khaki pants, a pair of light blue sunglasses, and had a holster on both shoulders, both holding small 9 mm. Pistols. Across his back was yet another gun, this one a rifle. The most noticeable thing about him was his height. He was slightly taller than 6 and a-half feet tall. His light brown hair was short and spiked with black tips.  
  
"Dante, it's in the businesses best interest to keep files confidential." Leo griped across the room as he limped his way back out of sight.  
  
"You could've just said something when we walked in!" Zell glared the tall, fairly thin man.  
  
Dante chuckled to himself. "Are you always a prick or is it just when you meet new people?"  
  
Zell grew red in the face with anger. Quistis laughed and added, "You'll get used to it." Zell got even redder and Selphie and Dante burst out laughing.  
  
"C'mon Zell, lighten up a little." Selphie said.  
  
"Let's just go get Rinoa." Zell muttered.  
  
"Rinoa's busy. We will go get Seifer first."  
  
"Seifer? Seifer Almasy?" Dante questioned.  
  
"Yes." Quistis answered.  
  
"I can't work with Seifer. That man nearly got me killed. He nearly got me killed in my own goddamn Garden. I can't take this mission. I apologize." Dante began relaxing in the couch again, and then lit a cigarette.  
  
"It's not Seifer's fault." Selphie was surprised to find herself defending Seifer. "He was under hypnosis by Ultimecia."  
  
"Look, if I'm stuck with Seifer, so are you." Zell stated bluntly.  
  
Dante took a deep, long drag of his cigarette. "I said I wasn't going."  
  
"You're going. I will personally see that you lose your placement as a SeeD." Quistis was now irritated by Dante's lack of tolerance.  
  
Dante took another deep drag, and then put out the cigarette on the sole of his shoe.  
  
~ Caraway's Mansion ~  
  
"Rinoa, try and understand." General Caraway pleaded his daughter. "I couldn't have ordered anybody to kill Squall. I have no authority left in the Galbadian Army."  
  
"No, you may not have authority, you have money." Rinoa accused her own father.  
  
"What can I do to prove to you that I had nothing to do with the death of that petty mercenary?"  
  
"Petty mercenary?" Rinoa's eyes gave her father an ice-cold glare. "You are talking about the man who saved my life, and the man I loved. The man I will always love."  
  
"That doesn't change the fact that he was a murderer for hire, and I had no part in his death. The man had it coming after he chose the life he did. You're just like your mother. You don't stop thinking about loss and forget about everything else in your life. He's dead, and there is nothing you can do about it."  
  
"I can avenge him. I've hired SeeDs for this mission, and they will track the killer."  
  
"You can't afford to hire them! You work at a damn train station! If you wouldn't have ruined your life with that man, you could've gone to college and gotten a good paying job. Heaven knows I would've supported you in that!"  
  
"You can only support things that go your way." Rinoa lowered her voice considerably. "Prove to me that you didn't hire that assassin. Hire the SeeDs yourself, and if the trail doesn't lead back to you, I can believe and trust your word."  
  
~ The Rebuilt Trabia Garden (Seifer's Weaponry Hall) ~  
  
Quistis, Selphie, Zell, and Dante walked into the back of the room as Seifer was giving a lecture to some junior classmen.  
  
"Now," Seifer ignored the guests in the room even though he knew they were there. "You all have to choose a weapon to use throughout your career as a SeeD. All weapons are dangerous weapons of destruction, and must be used properly. All weapons have their advantages, and disadvantages."  
  
Seifer walked over to a wall filled with various weapons, and pulled down a basic long sword, sharp and narrow. "Swords are the most commonly chosen by SeeD cadets. They give good damage, and it doesn't take an incredible amount of time to get basic maneuvers down. It does take years, however, to master the blade." Seifer put back the sword and pulled down his own personal gunblade.  
  
"The gunblade is what I used when becoming a SeeD myself. It's incredibly hard, if not the hardest, to get to be a descent fighter with this weapon. It's heavy, has a recoil that can throw you off balance, and at anytime can back fire it ever becomes slightly damaged."  
  
Seifer continued on for about 2 hours of lecturing on each weapon. He purposely saved martial arts for last.  
  
"Martial Arts is a very ineffective form of attacking. It is basically self defense fighting. It deals no real damage, and is easy to get good at. Basically you can learn how to fight reading magazines." Seifer smiled as he got the attention of Zell. "Plus, I find using hand combat very cheap cause it is so easy just to give a shot to the groin." This made some of the junior classman chuckle. "We have in our presence a very rare thing. A man who luckily got into SeeD using martial art techniques."  
  
The class turned around and looked at Zell, since he was the only one not equipped with a weapon. Zell decided to speak up. "I could beat you with my own hands and feet when you have your gunblade."  
  
"Oh, is that a challenge?" Seifer induced the fight.  
  
"I don't want to shame you in front of your class Seifer." Zell slowly walked up to the front.  
  
"Don't be a chicken wuss." Seifer grinned as he said that name. "I too have learned a little about hand combat. I had to, ya know. I have a class to teach."  
  
"Zell, we do have a bit of a time issue!" Selphie called up to him.  
  
"This won't take long." Seifer assured. "Class, this may interest those of you considering hand combat."  
  
Seifer initiated the first move, a quick leg sweep that Zell jumped above. Zell came down and kicked Seifer in the face, making him roll back. The junior classman gasped as Seifer received this blow, but he just got back up. Zell then charged and jumped to do a drop kick, but Seifer side- stepped and caught Zell in mid air, then slammed him to the hardwood floor face first, pinning him to the ground.  
  
"The sad thing is Zell, I've been doing this for 8 months, you've been doing it for 6 years." Seifer released Zell to the applause of the class. "Alright, y'all got a little show. Now, I will be leaving Garden for about a week at the most, I suspect, so when I get back, I expect a 3 page essay on what weapon you wish to use and why. Just because you do the assignment doesn't mean you get to use the chosen weapon. You have to convince me. Class dismissed."  
  
The junior classmen scrambled away as Seifer dusted his hands off and then walked out of the room.  
  
"Damn Zell, he kicked your ass." Dante said louder than he had to as he tried to keep himself from laughing out loud.  
  
"I fought to hurt and injure him, not beat him. I got too aggressive." Zell said in his defense.  
  
"Oh, so he's right. Martial Arts is basically for self defense."  
  
"I'll kill you!" Zell screamed into Dante's face.  
  
Dante pushed Zell back, removed the rifle from the holster across his back, and aimed it directly at Zell's head. "I don't think you will."  
  
"That's enough." Quistis glared at them both. "We have to learn to cooperate."  
  
"Where'd Selphie go?" Zell asked, looking around the weapon hall.  
  
"You two go deal with Seifer. I'll go find Selphie. We can meet at the Ragnorak." Dante said.  
  
"Fine." Quistis said as she pushed Zell towards Seifer's office.  
  
~ Memorial of the Original Trabia Garden ~  
  
The disarmed missile was placed in the center of a huge hedge and flower garden. Dante found Selphie here with her face buried in her hands sitting at a long bench.  
  
'God, now what the hell am I supposed to do?' Dante thought to himself. He slowly walked over and sat down next to her, then took a deep breath. He just sat there, to provide some company to her for the time being.  
  
"Who are you, really?" Selphie asked between sobs.  
  
"Dante Alexander. I thought you were told that before we met."  
  
"No, I mean, who are you? Tell me something about your past."  
  
"Uh, okay. I was born in Esthar, and I grew up in Deling."  
  
"No, about your history as a SeeD."  
  
"I haven't been a SeeD long. Not even a year."  
  
"Damn it, the gun. Where'd you get that damn gun?"  
  
Dante pulled the rifle out of its holster across his back. "You recognize it? Never knew he meant so much to you."  
  
"How did you get it?"  
  
Dante began to light a cigarette, but then chose against it. "Irvine was my partner, and my best friend. He was like a brother to me."  
  
"Get to the point!" Selphie yelled at him as she lifted her head and stared him down.  
  
"Damn it! Give me a chance!"  
  
Selphie cried harder and she put her face back into her hands. "S..s..sorry." Selphie stuttered.  
  
"No, don't be. I'm sorry." Dante put his arm over her shoulders in support. "Irvine and I was hired to stop an uprising in Galbadia to once again overthrow the newest dictator. We wiped out the entire group except for two. One of them caught us off guard, and Irvine sacrificed himself to save me. I use his gun in his honor for every mission now." Dante put the barrel under Selphie's face and revealed the side of the sight that Irvine had carved his initials into. "I think it means more to you than it does to me, so you can have it if you wish."  
  
"That won't be necessary. It would only get me more depressed."  
  
"I understand." Dante put the rifle back in his holster. Whenever you're ready, we can go back to the Ragnorak where everyone will be waiting."  
  
The two had sat there for 2 more hours in total silence. 


	4. Emotional Breakdowns

Tracking a Killer  
  
Ch. 4  
  
Selphie sat at the pilot's seat in the Ragnorak with her composure completely steady. Only Dante knew of her fit of crying, and he wasn't even in the cockpit. He decided to get a quick nap in the passenger cabin. Selphie started the engines and the Ragnorak began humming to life.  
  
"What in the hell are you doing Tilmitt?" Seifer shouted at her even though he was only a few steps away. "I didn't tell you to start up the ship."  
  
"I'm heading to Galbadia to pick up Rinoa." Selphie said in her defense.  
  
"Rinoa was not hired to do anything. This is our job, not hers. You don't go anywhere unless I tell you!"  
  
"What the hell is your problem Seifer?" Zell yelled at the commander.  
  
Quistis left the cockpit due to the fact that she was sick of the two constantly fighting. They had fought with each other ever since they had walked into his office.  
  
"Damn it Tilmitt! Land this craft!" Seifer shouted in fury, ignoring Zell.  
  
They had been 100 feet above the ground hovering, and Selphie stopped all ignitions and let the Ragnorak free fall back to the ground, making Seifer and Zell fall. Selphie got up and walked out with tears flowing down her cheeks again.  
  
Seifer stared and watched Selphie leave the cockpit. When he looked back, all he saw was Zell's fist connecting with his face, and he collapsed to the ground, watching Zell follow Selphie out.  
  
"Son of a bitch," Seifer muttered to himself.  
  
~ Passenger Cabin ~  
  
It annoyed Dante at how people flooded into the place he was using to nap, or try to take one. First down came Quistis. This didn't bother him cause she sat down on the other side of the cabin and appeared to be attempting to get some sleep herself. Then came Selphie and Zell. Selphie was crying again, and this somehow made him feel low. Selphie sat directly next to him and quietly whimpered to herself. Zell decided to make pathetic attempts to comfort her, and it seemed to only make her cry worse. Quistis followed Zell over.  
  
Seifer now came into the room incredibly furious. He stood at the doorway and began shouting at the group again, and most of it seemed to be targeted at Selphie. Dante sighed and pulled out a pistol, careful to keep it out of sight. He held it down by his waist as he fired a round between a couple of chairs and then it screamed at Seifer, cutting a lock of his hair off before hitting the wall behind him.  
  
Seifer looked at Dante in fury and possibly a little fright. "You're that close from being relieved from your duties commander." Dante said and then closed his eyes and tried to sleep a little, which was of course impossibly next to the sobbing of Selphie.  
  
Seifer glared at Dante as he slowly turned around and went out of the room. "Thank you," Selphie whispered to Dante. Dante was shocked when he realized that she had grabbed his hand and held it firmly. Selphie then rested her head on his shoulder.  
  
Dante shook her off and got up. "I remind you of him, don't I?" Dante said as he walked out of the cabin leaving Selphie staring back at him confused.  
  
~ Deling City Tavern ~  
  
Rinoa stared into her glass of wine at the bar counter. She hadn't taken a single drink in the past 2 hours. The SeeDs had left without her, she figured it to be to save time and pick up the others.  
  
This was really the last thing on her mind. Everything in her life was collapsing. Her father's main servant gave her a letter of an eviction notice of her house in Timber. The contract was under Squall's name, and the landlord wanted her out so he could move his nephew into the house. She couldn't press charges because if she did continue paying the rent, it would be illegally subletting the house.  
  
After she left the mansion, General Caraway told his guards not to let Rinoa back onto the premises without his approval. She had little money and it would take her a long time to get back to Timber to resume her job. She had missed the past two days without calling in and figured she had been fired anyway.  
  
Worst of all, in the past 2 years, whenever she was down like this, she had Squall to be there for her. Rinoa drank down the last of her wine and told the bartender to refill and leave the bottle. This consumed the last of her money. Rinoa sat there for the next hour thinking and consuming the entire bottle of wine. She passed out on the counter.  
  
"Son of a bitch," the bartender groaned as he saw her passed out. "Lewis, help me get this drunk out of here."  
  
"Don't throw her out in the street," a handsome man in a business suit said as he walked across the room. "Does she really look like she belongs in the street? I'll take her upstairs and get her a room for the night."  
  
"Whatever you say Mr. Wilkinson." Lewis said as placed her arm of his shoulder and carried him upstairs.  
  
~ Ragnorak: outside of Trabia ~  
  
"Seifer, where are we going to go?" Selphie said back in the pilot's seat.  
  
"Go to the D-district Prison. There are a few prisoners there that might be able to give us a lead to the assassin, or maybe why the assassin went after Squall."  
  
"They won't let us in." Zell said bluntly.  
  
"Sure they will. Those guards might still be afraid of me, so they will listen to me." Seifer stated.  
  
"Or, they might be afraid of you and blow your damn head off." Zell snickered when he said this.  
  
"Shut up, both of you." Quistis commanded. "Let's go. Wait, where is Dante?"  
  
"Let's go." Seifer muttered to Selphie. "I don't care where Dante is."  
  
Selphie reluctantly launched the Ragnorak towards the Galbadian Desert.  
  
~ D-District Prison ~  
  
Seifer led the group to the hidden entrance to the underground prison. Seifer confronted the solitary guard in his booth. "I'd like to speak with the warden," Seifer said casually.  
  
"Sorry, this entrance is for people with clearance. Besides, the door only opens on the inside."  
  
"Listen, I know this is the only entrance that is above ground. I know you can use an intercom to get the clearance." Seifer said keeping himself calm.  
  
"That's not how it works anymore. The door is only capable of being opened from the inside, and only when a scheduled appointment with a cleared guest is going to occure."  
  
Seifer couldn't keep his calm any longer. "I'll show you my goddamn clearance!" He yelled as he drew his gunblade and cut into the thin aluminum surrounding the booth. "Let us in."  
  
The guard hit an alarm and engaged his pistol at Seifer. Seifer took a hit in the shoulder, and fell to the ground.  
  
"We're going!" Quistis yelled to the guard.  
  
"You've got 30 seconds!" The guard yelled and began counting down.  
  
The group left ran off, nobody helped Seifer up so he was behind, and they all ran back to the Ragnorak's cargo hold.  
  
"I take it that it didn't go well." Dante said, sitting in the car that the Ragnorak always carried.  
  
"You skip out on us again and you are off this mission," Seifer said as he walked away holding his wound. "We're going to Deling. There's a couple of people I need to talk to. We are not going there to retrieve Ms. Heartily." 


	5. Confessionals

Tracking a Killer  
  
Ch. 5  
  
~ Motel Room: Deling City. ~  
  
"Wilkinson, open up!" A gruff voice yelled through the door that startled Rinoa awake. "This is your last warning!"  
  
Rinoa felt a screaming headache and her vision was blurred. She couldn't tell if she was awake or still passed out at the bar, dreaming. The door suddenly blew off of its hinges and Galbadian Soldiers stormed the room.  
  
"Where is he?" The apparent leader screamed at Rinoa. "Where is he you bitch?" This time he slapped Rinoa across the face.  
  
Rinoa was puzzled. She wanted to protest, but she was brought speechless. The soldier unhappy with her silence, slapped her across the face even harder, this time knocking her off of the bed. When she went down, the soldier repeatedly kicked her until she fell unconscious. "Take her to the prison. I'll get her to talk."  
  
~ Deling City, Clock Tower ~  
  
Seifer had led the group to the clock tower. He wanted to meet somebody here. He refused to tell whom.  
  
"Seifer, we've been here for an hour," Zell complained.  
  
"Patience. It's all you need." Seifer said calmly.  
  
Selphie was curious on what Dante was doing. Dante was looking into the city, mainly at the arch where they had captured the sorceress Edea for a short time. She walked over to him, and stood by his side. "What are you thinking about?"  
  
"The spot where Irvine missed his one and only shot. He told me it was the bane of his existence. He hated that he missed and forced everyone into a spot where they would have to fight the Sorceress head to head."  
  
"His only miss. You're forgetting one other miss. The one that caused his own death." Selphie got watery eyes thinking of this moment. "I only wish he had stayed with me, traveling around the world."  
  
"That wasn't his miss. It was mine. I let my guard down, and I allowed that bastard to kill him."  
  
"They've made it." Seifer announced to the group.  
  
A pair of men dressed in Galbadian Soldier uniforms, one in red, and the other in blue, walked up to Seifer. Seifer paid them a large sum of Gil, and they both took a step back and gave him a salute.  
  
"I don't think Galbadian Soldiers are needed for this mission Seifer," Zell stated coldly.  
  
"They're not Galbadian Soldiers anymore."  
  
Zell glared at Seifer, then faced the two men. "There's something I don't trust about them."  
  
The man in the red smiled, and the one in the blue chuckled silently.  
  
"They will help us get into the D-District Prison. They know the access codes, and they haven't been changed in 12 years. Supposedly they are all still the same. Biggs, Wedge, are you armed?"  
  
The two men nodded.  
  
"Hell no, this isn't going to happen." Zell said. "These guys will turn on us the first chance they get."  
  
"Zell, relax. They aren't going to try anything," Quistis assured. "They know they can't beat us."  
  
Wedge put a gun to Quistis's head. "We can't beat you, eh?" Wedge chuckled to himself and holstered the pistol.  
  
"Selphie, Dante, we're going to prison." Seifer said and left the tower, followed by Biggs and Wedge.  
  
~ D- District Prison (confession room) ~  
  
Rinoa sat tied to a chair under a bright white light. Rinoa was slapped brutally across the face for the tenth time in the last hour, and the fact the guard was wearing a ring with the jewel turned facing the same way as his palm faced didn't help, giving her a new cut every time he hit her. "Now, what is your relationship with Paul Wilkinson? Don't bother denying any knowledge of who he is, cause you woke up in his penthouse, and you wouldn't be there if you didn't know him."  
  
Rinoa had been to tears since the beginning of the confessional. She had no idea who the guard was talking about, and she had given up trying to protest she had no knowledge of whom he was.  
  
"I give up. She isn't talking. She has to be of a high rank in the resistance group." The guard said to the two others standing at the exit. There was a knock on that door, and the guards let in a young messenger.  
  
"Sir, I have a note for you from the Galbadian defense department." The young man said as he handed the note over, then was dismissed.  
  
The guard smiled as he read. He pushed Rinoa over while she was still tied to the chair, and then he kneeled down on her shoulder with all his weight and got his face to hers. "Why'd you hire SeeD?"  
  
~ D - District Prison Entrance ~  
  
The group of SeeDs where handcuffed as Biggs and Wedge escorted them past the guard at the entrance, who was beaming at the sight of the group in cuffs. Past the initial entrance was a large security door made of solid steel 3 inches thick. It could only be electronically opened and had two armed guards on each side of it.  
  
Biggs went up to the lock release panel and punched in a five digit code, and a buzzer sounded to signify that it was incorrect. The guards shifted their attention a little more closely as Biggs tried again, and failed.  
  
"For crying our loud, you can't remember a simple code?" Wedge said and pushed Biggs aside and put the correct code in himself, making the guards a little less suspicious.  
  
The vault door closed behind them and Wedge released the cuffs. "Their aren't any more guards around. We have access to the cells. Guards will only come into this area to feed the inmates and solve any domestic disturbances. Those are basically the only conditions."  
  
"Basically?" Seifer eyed Wedge.  
  
"Well, there are other circumstances like there is a confessional going on or there might be an execution."  
  
"Alright, where do we go to find the inmate list?" Seifer asked impatiently.  
  
"Already on top of it." Biggs said while at a small computer console. "Sub Level 12; death row. Cell sixteen."  
  
"Who on death row do we need to talk to Seifer?" Zell asked in a low, almost threatening tone.  
  
"Fujin and Raijin were both convicted for terrorist activities against the Galbadian Government. They admitted to it and were placed here. If we are looking for a rogue Galbadian Soldier, they might know something." Seifer explained, then gave Zell a cold glare. "We will see Fujin since Raijin has already been executed."  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that Seifer," Quistis said lightly.  
  
"Yeah, I was too." Seifer muttered, leading everyone down the stairs.  
  
~ Confessional Room ~  
  
"Goddamnit! I told you for the last fucking time, I hired SeeD to find a murderer for Squall Leonheart!" Rinoa screamed into the guards face, now bleeding more than ever.  
  
"To find a murderer wouldn't require you to hire five SeeDs."  
  
"Neither did I, but it is suspected that the man has protection from the Galbadian Army. That would require a lot of manpower in case of resistance."  
  
"So you admit you're after the Galbadian defense."  
  
"No!"  
  
"Too late, you already admitted it! Guards, take her to her cell. She's gonna be our guest for a while."  
  
"What the hell! I didn't even get a goddamn trial!" Rinoa screamed at the top of her lungs. One final slap quieted her down.  
  
~ Cell 16, Sub Level 12 ~  
  
Biggs opened the cell by using another override code and the electronic door opened. Biggs walked in and was instantly tackled and smashed against a wall. Fujin moved from him and then attacked Wedge, who quickly countered and put his pistol to the back of her head after pinning her to the wall.  
  
"Fujin, don't worry. Cooperate and you are free from here." Seifer said to her.  
  
Fujin recognized the voice, but she didn't reply.  
  
"I need to know what you can tell me about an assassination of Squall Leonheart." Seifer said.  
  
"Seifer, I've been here for nearly a goddamn year, what would I know of an assassination of Squall."  
  
"Well, first of all, you normally would be intrigued by the fact that Squall was assassinated, even a little shocked. I know I was, and I never liked the guy. I will get you out of here now if you share."  
  
"The assassination has been in the plannings ever since Galbadia's newest dictator took control. The resistance grouped was wiped out before it could original take place, and it was delayed until the group regained it's footing. Raijin and I were part of that new resistance regime. Of course that was stalled by yet another event breaking the regime up. I figure the only reason Squall was assassinated was that the man who originally thought of it is still alive. He has been around since the beginning."  
  
"Who? Tell me who it is and where I can find him." Seifer demanded.  
  
"We have company fellas," Dante said while ducking down with is two pistols outstretched.  
  
"Terrorists!" A guard yelled as he hit an alarm, and then ducked down for cover with another guard whom held a prisoner in custody. The two began firing back at the group.  
  
"Dante! Get those bastards!" Seifer yelled. "Biggs, Wedge, help him out. Cover us!"  
  
Biggs and Wedge knelt down beside Dante and returned fire. Seifer led the others towards the staircase, and were met by more guards firing at them. Quistis hit the first two with her whip, and the next one that came down shot both Quistis and Fujin before being killed by Seifer's blade.  
  
"Quistis!" Zell shouted as he helped her keep to her feet. Quistis was shot near her collar bone and it was bleeding profusely. Selphie was tending to Fujin, who took a shot in the abdomen and was fading fast from life. There was nothing to be done for her, and Fujin passed away in a matter of moments.  
  
"This is why I protested the ban of guardian forces so much," Seifer muttered. "I think losing a little memory is worth saving lives."  
  
"GFs also cost lives with their destructive capabilities," Selphie said to Seifer. "It really was for the best."  
  
"It's clear the other way," Biggs said in a solemn voice while walking over. "They shot Wedge though. He can probably make it out under his own power. Dante is making sure nobody tries coming up the back entrance to this area."  
  
"Goddamn. Biggs, which way are we more likely able to get out?" Seifer said in a hurried tone.  
  
"Back where Dante is. It's not the quickest way, but we'll find less opposition."  
  
"Alright, hurry up. Are you gonna be okay Quistis?" Seifer asked without waiting for an answer, and jogged off.  
  
Wedge was holding a wound to his chest and guarding the exit while Dante was tending to the prisoner that was held by the guards. "Rinoa's been beaten, badly." Dante informed.  
  
"Rinoa? How in the hell did she wind up here?" Zell asked Dante.  
  
"How would I know?" Dante snapped back.  
  
"We can all ask later," Seifer said as he knelt down, gently picked Rinoa up in his arms and carried her to the staircase that would lead them to the outside. Biggs and Wedge used what they knew to divert them around all basic interference and they escaped through a large ventalation chamber with little opposition.  
  
Outside, everyone was struck down in shock, especially Selphie, as they witnessed from a distance the complete destruction of the Ragnorak, repeatedly bombed by a rocket launcher until it was fully destroyed. With no transportation, there was only the long walk through the desert ahead of them. 


End file.
